Pickering goint after lawyers’ fees in Microsoft case
If state Auditor Stacey Pickering has his way, attorneys will have to turn over $8 million they made in helping the state reach a $40 million lawsuit settlement with computer giant Microsoft.
Pickering, a first-term Republican auditor, said that if he wins a lawsuit pending in Hinds County Circuit Court, he plans to collect the money from attorneys hired by Attorney General Jim Hood to pursue the litigation against Microsoft.
The $8 million was awarded to the attorneys as part of a potential $100 million settlement reached earlier this year for the state, local governments and individuals who bought Microsoft products.
Pickering and Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant, a former Republican state auditor, claim that state law and the Constitution require that any money awarded to private attorneys be appropriated by the Legislature.
nems.com
10/26/9
Magnolia Tribune
